The Owensboro City Commission offered tentative financial support to a local initiative designed to deliver free books to children in Daviess County, but details of the funding level have not been worked out.

Following a presentation by Imagination Library of Daviess County during a work session Thursday, commissioners said they would be willing to commit city dollars to the program, which will need at least $60,000 to get started.

"If we're not doing this today, how much is it going to cost us with kids every day?" said Commissioner David Johnson. "I think with all of us, economic development and education attainment are way up the chart. ...This isn't a cure-all, but I think it is a huge step."

Imagination Library is a program initiated by entertainer Dolly Parton through which any child signed up with the program receives a free book through the mail each month.

The books are theirs to keep, and the children will receive the books monthly until they reach the age of 5 and prepare to start kindergarten. The program is designed to encourage reading and better prepare children for learning once they enter school.

Tracy Marksberry, executive director of The Learning Community, a lead partner in the program, said Imagination Library targets the youngest age group to help instill good learning habits at an early age.

"This program helps develop a very strong start for our kids," Marksberry said. "If we can make an impact on this age group, it will provide dividends forever."

The Junior League of Owensboro has already committed funds and volunteer hours to Imagination Library, and organizations such as Daviess County Early Childhood Council, Owensboro Civitan Club and Owensboro Woman's Club are also partners.

Others on the Imagination Library board are Audubon Area Community Services, school systems and RiverValley Behavioral Health.

So far, the program has raised about $23,000 from the community, but must raise at least $60,000 for its initial purchase of books.

"We really are going to be able to reach a lot of kids very quickly," Marksberry said.

The target audience for the program is the 7,000 children under the age of 5 in the county, but it will take several years to be able to reach most of that population, Marksberry said.

When closer to that number of children are registered with the program, the annual cost for books and postage is expected to run about $122,000, Marksberry said.

Janet Land with Daviess County Public Schools, who is helping with the program, said there will also be an emphasis on gauging the impact of the books on educational performance once the children enter school, but a method to measure that impact hasn't been developed.

Commissioner Candance Castlen Brake suggested that Owensboro Public Schools, which are represented on the Imagination Library steering committee by Superintendent Larry Vick, should consider committing some of the additional tax revenue generated by a proposed 200-acre development on Kentucky 54 to the program.

"It would just be a great partnership for the whole community," Brake said.

A specific contribution from the city or when that contribution might be made was not discussed at Thursday's meeting, which was called at the request of Johnson so the commission could hear about the program.

Johnson said he would be looking to city staff members to help determine an appropriate contribution for the city to consider, and Marksberry said the steering committee would look into submitting a formal request for funding to the city.

"Of course we'd like to start ordering books for children as soon as we can," Marksberry said.

Box: For more information about Imagination Library of Daviess County, contact Tracy Marksberry at The Learning Community at 926-4339.